After the Academy Awards disqualified Best Original Song candidate “Alone Yet Not Alone,” last week — alleging its writer Bruce Broughton broke Oscar rules by wrongly e-mailing members to create awareness for his tune — there’s increased attention on the awards’ sometimes Byzantine bylaws.
Broughton’s wife, Belinda — who’s credited as the orchestra leader on films including “Man of Steel” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” — posted on Facebook: “If you feel this was an injustice, please would you make your feelings known.”
The disqualified song was a surprise nominee, going up against tunes by U2 and Pharrell Williams, because it was from an obscure Christian movie that took in $134,000 at the box office.
Bruce, a former Academy governor, reportedly said: “I’m devastated. I indulged in the simplest grassroots campaign . . . I got taken down by competition that had months of promotion and advertising behind them.” The Academy contended: “No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor . . . creates the appearance of an unfair advantage.”